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In Final Fantasy XXII one of your party members is Fran, a member of the Viera, who are a race of bunny women. Yes, a “race” of women.

But all women? This raises a few interesting questions…

At one point in the game you visit their village, and it is all women with bunny ears. I’m okay with this, because if their race had men they would look ridiculous. Well, more ridiculous. Females can pull off the bunny / catgirl look, but men? Not so much.

Left: Fran. Right: One of her “sisters”.

But I’m not sure how this is supposed to work. Balthier makes a comment at one point, “Fran knows all about men.” I assume he means human men, since there don’t seem to be any Viera males.

But how can they not have males? They seem to have otherwise normal family relationships. One of the bunnies is Fran’s sister, others are not. This seems to indicate a family structure with siblings, which doesn’t make a lot of sense if they are asexual. Not that I know anything about asexual cultures, but I’m just saying.

But now that I think of it, these aren’t the only bunnies you see in the game. The other bunnies are little munchkins who look much more like rabbits.

These bunnies are more of the fluffy bunny and less of the Playboy bunny variety. They are short, cute, and they call everyone “Kupo”

In the game you see them building mechanical doors, maintaining airships, and inventing intra-city teleports. Once in a while you see one running a shop. These bunnies are clearly mostly engineers and entrepreneurs. Oh my gosh! These bunnies are guys! These must be the Viera males!

Q: But… how would they…
A: What? How would they what?
Q: You know…
A: Ooooh! Yeah. I see what you’re getting at.
Q: Yeah. How would they do it?
A: Very, very carefully.

UPDATE: Wonderduck answers the most important questions in the comments here.

I read somewhere that there are male viera. They live in separate villages made up of males. Since viera are long-lived they rarely socialize with the male viera unless it matting season or something. I for got what all was said, but some thing like that. Still I wish there had been a game that let you explore there world more, all species in Ivalice outside of humes. Where you would help maintain the village and have to pick a job, warder or salve-maker, even village elder if you mastered the other two. That would have been awesome, I always wanted to play as Jote anyway! ^^

I agree with the theory that the smaller rabbits are the males. There are several species of animals and insects on our own planet where the females are much larger than the males.

Maybe they don’t reproduce using sex. Maybe it’s more like clams. At a certain time of the year, the females all gather in one spot and deposit their eggs on the ground. Then they leave. Then the males show up and do the same thing (only they aren’t depositing eggs) on the same spot on the ground. Then they also leave. Several months later, a new generation of bunny babies can be seen hopping around the forest and foraging their own food.

The ability to make enticing underwear evolved separately, after the Viera acquired pay-per-view.

The smaller bunnys are young and adolescent males. They are sent away from the women to make their way in the world until they reach the age of contest. At which point they returen their home to challenge the single reigning adult male, called “The Hef” in his secret Grotto. The current “Hef” has not been bested in over 50 years. If all the males were allowed to stay the Viera would overpopulate the world.

I’ve always thought that they were a sub-species with an X dominant that is suppressed by the Y. That is that they breed normally with human males, but their female offspring are Viera but their male offspring are normal human males. The other option is that Viera breed with human males but their biology naturally terminates male children, resulting in only female offsprign from such couplings.

It has been a while since I’ve taken any biology classes, but why does having sisters preclude them being asexual? If they both came from the same mother, wouldn’t they be sisters? I don’t see the need for two parents in order for the following terms to work: sister, mother, daughter, aunt, niece, grandmother, granddaughter, cousin, etc.

Sigh, Moogles aren’t bunnies! If anyone were to suggest such a thing to the greatest of the Moogles, Mog, they’d get a dance-based tail whoopin’. As far as the Viera, who knows. Having leggy furry women in the game just seems to be about adding some sex appeal. After all, you need something since your main character is apparently a metrosexual…

Good point, really, I mean, it’s coming from a nation of people who sell girls’ used underwear in vending machines, for pete’s sake. A race of nubile bunny-women doesn’t seem like as much of a stretch when one considers the source.

Grant Says:
It has been a while since I’ve taken any biology classes, but why does having sisters preclude them being asexual? If they both came from the same mother, wouldn’t they be sisters? I don’t see the need for two parents in order for the following terms to work: sister, mother, daughter, aunt, niece, grandmother, granddaughter, cousin, etc.

If they reproduced sans male interference, they would have to be sisters. No X-chromosome material involved. I think this is called parthenogenesis? Each child would basically be a clone of the mother.

I think.

Agh! You make me attempt to remember biology lessons long sent to the basement of not-needed-any-more.

There’s no reason to assume they aren’t hermaphroditic. That would allow for mitotic reproduction without an obvious male. It makes the game designers seem even *more* sinister, though.

Of course, you can’t blame it on the designers of FFXII, as they were introduced for FF: Tactics Advance. I always figured the men were either reclusive or comparatively feeble (or both) and so weren’t seen. They definitely aren’t Moogles!

…or it could be, like some species of fish, that the males are really tiny [like finger-sized] and attach themself to a female during [mutual] childhood.

As a gal myself, I prefer the idea of parthogenesis myself. It means all offspring will be female and there won’t be much genetic drift, but could work for an all female race. Especially a very long-lived race.

[However, just because I’m silly, salacious thoughts of them being fertile hermaphrodites has some appeal in the bunny-fem-on-bunny-fem action. They are pretty enough to appeal to girls and boys, after all.]

When the first underwear vending machines started appearing in the nicer areas of Tokyo, the police started recieving complaints.
However, they found that – surprisingly enough – there was nothing in Japan’s anti-pornography laws that would allow them to force the machines’ removal.

Until one day, a bright young police officer hit on a way that they could do it…

I know when they published the articles in Dragon Magazine about the half-satyr and half-dryad races, they said that the satyrs and dryads were actually the males and females of one species… not separate species. So a human woman who got charmed & seduced by a satyr would birth either a half-satyr or half-dryad, depending on the child’s gender. The same would happen with a dryad who got pregnant by the human male she’d charmed & seduced.

Robert Asprin did a similar stunt in his “Myth Adventures” series. Chumley the Troll, and the assassin/mage Tananda are actually siblings — though they look nothing alike. In their home dimension of Trollia, the males are all hulking creatures known as Trolls. The females, on the other hand, are Trollops — beautiful green-haired women.

A race of women is biologically possible, but one has to wonder why they’d have prominent breasts. I thought the current theory was that these evolved in humans due to sexual selection.”

If I was a japanese game designer, creating a race of bunny-women, they’d all have the same tastes in women I did. Ultimately this would create (by natural or sexual selection) a race of bunny women that looked just like the ones I’d have designed by being a horn-dog with creative freedom.

In other words, they’d have prominent breasts, because they like prominent breasts too.

Well, the Viera -are- made out to be somewhat druidic in the game, saying that if they leave the forest, then they can no longer hear the wood, and they are no longer welcome back (Fran gets the cold shoulder when you stop by). If we -really- want to find a male for them to mate with, what about the non aggressive treant enemies hanging out just outside the zone entrance to the village.

As for moogles, there are different ones referred to as male and female throughout the game, it’s subtle but you can catch it if you look. (The one who hires you to take care of the turtle in the magicite mines in Bhujerba is female for example).

Though there are no female Bangaa in FFTA, we do see one as a member of the bounty hunter Bagamnun’s group …I think she’s the blue one. Gotta give square credit, none of the lizard ladies have breasts.

And also this isn’t the only race in FF where we have yet to see the other sex. However, in the case of the catgirl Mithra in Final Fantasy XI, they simply keep the men locked up inside the houses for the purposes of homecare and procreation.

Lastly, the Galka are another tricky race. They’re classified as male in FFXI, but they are actually Asexual, and reproduce through an as yet detailed method of advanced reincarnation. (the game implies that’s what happens, but doesn’t go into the mechanics)

My speculation (based on various sub-plots within the game) is that a Viera can only have children with her soulmate, normally a human male. However, many Viera are more than willing to enter a long-term relationship with a human on the mere chance that he might be her soulmate.

The Fran sub-plot seems to suggest that Viera rarely leave their villages, but the number of Viera in Rabanastre alone seems to contradict this. Either exiled Viera are very, very common, or Fran did something more heinous than merely leaving (like being part of “the royal family” and leaving, perhaps).

The Fran sub-plot seems to suggest that Viera rarely leave their villages, but the number of Viera in Rabanastre alone seems to contradict this.

Traveling around Ivalice in general it seems you can’t spend five minutes without running into another “exiled” Viera, making their way in the world and doing just fine. My theory is that in fact most Viera have left their village because they couldn’t put up with its stultifying, tedious, and backward culture, not to mention the lack of men. All that argle-bargle about “hearing the Wood” and the hostility to outsiders, including Viera expatriates like Fran, is just propaganda used by the village elders desperately trying to keep the remaining residents from leaving as well.

Why the elders? why, whenever there is some oddness in an ancient culture are the elders ALWAYS blamed?

What about this: Viera can actually Hear the Wood and Commune with Nature, but increasingly this is seen as being a rather round-about way of acheiving things, not to mention somewhat silly-looking.So more and more Viera are foregoing the way of the Viera and following the Humans in their search for technological perfection.While the elders are accused of being reppresive and unsupportive.Outsiders are disliked because that’s how the whole mess started in the first place.

you know that those “little bunnies” are actually moogles, a completely different race from the viera? and you seem to have forgotten that viera have an infinite lifespan, moogles die regularly in the final fantasy series.

ok, for one, the “little bunnies” are NOT the guy viera. those are freakin moogles. anyone who even has the slightest knowledge of ff would know that, even if they do look a bit different than usual. two, all the viera are sisters, you just hear the main three (fran, mjyrn, and whoever the other was) say it. but fran says that she is “no longer a sister of the forest”, therefore clueing in that, perhaps these creatures are born from the forest, hince, the perfect figures and beings. …so very ignorant of you, im sorry.

Just a note: If you are humor impaired like some of the morons above, you don’t need to come in here and “inform” me. If you can’t tell this is humor, you’re reading the wrong blog. Go back to MySpace.

Well some of you certainly made me laugh… Isn’t it possible (re the whole exiled viera complex) that they’re allowed to leave to mate (with a hume male presumably), as long as that’s the sole purpose and they come back to raise the child? Thus, Fran left for the sake of curiosity and rebellion and the like, and isn’t welcome back in the woods… the soulmate-searching viera however, is a victim of entirely different circumstances… just a thought. If any of you have read Garth Nix’s Lirael, its like the Clayr, they leave, mate and just tend to have female children.

I think I read somewhere that Viere indeed have men somewhere, but these men are very rare (Hm, guess one is a hell of a lucky guy when one is born as a Viera Guy.. but then again, having those bunny ears as a guy? nah, looks to strange… though the pros surely weight out the cons.)

Anyways, what I wanted to say is that the Viera females are also the more Dominant kind, they go hunting, cooking, etc,etc,etc,etc. The males are just there for one reason, mating, it seems.

Ok. One. I thought the very same thing about Viera being wholly a female race; two. It is not true.

I came across a final fantasy wikipedia version that explained the races and other such things in context.

Apparently; The male and female Viera live seperately and only contact each other whenever necessary (in other words no extra curricular things will be happening. >XP) And also went into detail about different TYPES of Viera which were both viera and another race mixed making them look like pink lolita versions of the playboy Viera only these offspring also had white markings on their body and their ears were significantly smaller.

But back to the point at hand; Male Viera. Although they explained why you dont see any of them, there is one thing i will admit; though this ff wikipedia site DID say that they lived seperately, they failed to give a picture of the male viera so this may be a totally false claim. However, it seems to make more sense.

And the tiny bunnies are Moogles, it says so everywhere. Come on people, they cant get THAT high up in order to reproduce, think of the…irregularities. But none the less everyone has their own oppinion i am merely letting you know what i found out. I’d give the link to the ff wikipedia site but i foolishly forgot to save the blasted url down which means i probably couldnt find it again even if i was offered a million dollars.

And by the way; the idea of moogles being the male viera, highly original and quite amusing. ^-^ i cant say i’ve ever come across such a statement so props goes to you for being the first to comment it!!

OK i’ve played the game but not all the way through yet. In my opinion these chicks are sweet, and assome and they can kick ass, and this proves it women can do anything a guy can if they set there mind to it. BUNNY VIERE CHICKS RULE!

Ok in reference to Ames, that whole plot was from Revenant Wings, the sequel to XII. The Viera you’re talking about are Feol Viera which are the offspring of Feolthanos and a Viera. They are disriminated against by regular Viera because they are half Viera and half “Feol” or whatever the race was called. The “Feol” race as I’m calling them , are a race of people with wings that can fly that look similar to Humes. The Feol Viera lack wings and in part Feolthanos left some kinda airship for them to use to return to their home in a skycity that I completely forgot what it’s name was. That’s basically the whole plot of the game. No male viera have ever been mentioned. Sorry buddy.

Moogles are in no where close to the relation of Viera. That’s like saying a Giza Rabbit is the Moogles distant cousin or something. Lol.

And another thing, if there’s a whole race of females there has to be a whole race of males to even the balance. The Garif are the only race full of well-built males and who knows what the hell they are. There are no females in sight in their village.

Personally I don’t think a male Viera would look all that bad, we just are stuck on the female look and can’t identify with a male, but someone has to draw concept art or something. Lol.

Plus I agree with Megan, Viera can kick ass. Fran is at level 91 right now on my game and has the Sagittarius Bow plus the Artemis arrows. I’ve beaten the game, but decided to go back and do the dumb-arse side quests to get the feel of fully completing it. Vayne sucked, with a bubble belt on you can kick his ass freely, though I reccomend healing when your life is halved. Cause the bosses are rediculously retarded…f-ing palings and junk with your stupid abilities and protectives…fags…

Thank you alexondra, know one ever gives me credit for stuff like that. And how did you get to level 19 i’m only in the 20’s. and can you go back to city’s later in the game? And one more thing where is the best place to level up,if you know. by the way i love that picture of the male viera, where did you find it? lol, i have no idea why i’m laughing.

You’re welcome. I’ve been playing the game for over 200 hours, 217 I think. Alot of my life wasted but it was worth it! XD You can go back to cities later in the game. If you have teleport stones you can use them on the orange crystals and teleport to places that you’ve been, but later you can get Balthier’s airship and use it to it’s advantage. The best place I found to level up was Nabudis, but I’d pick a place with at least level 30 monsters. Seeing as how you’re in the 20s I’d say giza plains during the rainy season. Or raithwall’s tomb, I’ll have to go back and check up on the areas, I don’t want to send you into death lol! AVOID THE ENTITES!!! Don’t cast magic when you see one or you’re ended! LOL! Oh yeah, and I found the picture of a male viera at deviantart.com Under the search bar on the site I typed in male viera and that’s one of the results that popped up.

thannks that’s a bunch of help, you know wats weiird you said to go to giza to level up in the rianing season i just passed that place and i don’t really know wat the place is called bbut couple of things where is raithwall tomb and also where is nsbudis? and i knw i should knw this but what are the ENTITES, and where are they? i knw this is asking alot but when can you use balthier’s ship? one thing that i can’t control over is fran when i put her on my team she doesn’t do a thing she just stands there. AND WHOA OVER 200 HOURS, I THINK I’M ONLY AT 50 HOURS. one tthing for me that stinks leveling up is i played the game for the entire night till morning for ten hours cause i started over and i was trying to level up in the giza plains while not raining, and it took me ten hours just to get to level ten. if you knw how to help me with fran, cause she’s not fighting she’s just standing there, can you tell me how to get her fighhting again PLEASE! I NEED HER STRENTGH. HELPPPPP!. thanks for everything so far.

Alright! Lol!! Since you started over, everything just pretty much follows the plot line. The rains in Giza don’t come until about the middle, including Raithwall’s tomb. Raithwall’s tomb is the climax for the mid part of the game. Sorry for misleading you!!! Nabudis comes WAY late in the game, your characters should at least be near level 60 by that time. Entities are those wierd ball like orbs that float around in different areas. There’s one in the Ogir-Yensa Sandsea on one of the retarded refinery platforms. It looks like it has rocks floating around in it, you can find the same on in one of the Sands, Ester or Wester. I can’t remember. I can post a link in another message so that you’d be able to identify with what they look like. The only reason why I think of Fran is just standing in battle is because her gambits are turned off. If there isn’t that yellow “G” by her name, then it means that they were turned off. While she’s in your party just bring up the menu using “X” and scroll to Fran with the D-pad, once she’s highlighted go down to Gambits. If it says “off” then tap the X to flip them back on! A yellow “G” should appear next to her name indicating that they’re back on, she should be up and running after that! Lol! Oh yeah! And Balthier’s airship doesn’t come until near the end I believe since it’s needed to get onto the Bahamut. I’m sorry if I did an end-game spoiler. So very very sorry. But as far as I’m concerned, if you follow the plot line you should level up nicely. But since you’re in the beginning, I’d suggest training in the Estersand up until at least level 8-10. It’ll be a tedious task but it’s worth it! Lol! If there’s anything more just ask! :)

now i mislead you i started over long time ago, my level is in the 20’s, in the rainy seson. i put it aside 4 awhile cause my head was pounding and i guess i went to another game, and so u knw you didn;t spoile the ending 4 me. thanks i’ll check fran but i think her gambit is on. and i will come to u if i need help you helped me alot thanks. ya knw u could have a job iun gaming, this is wat my brothers trying 4 me he said i could help people with gaming by going on the computer and helping them with spicific games. yes i spelled that wrong, but i bet anything you could do that to. thanks, that gives me an idea.

Thanks I appreciate that! Another thing is if she doesn’t have an attack gambit set too, then maybe that. I don’t know lol. I’ve always wanted to work with flash programing and stuff like that to make animated shorts and games. If there are some programs that you know of I’d be more than happy to hear about it! Perhaps we could work together sometime! :)

your welcome. and definitly i’ve always wanted to be in the programing too. and lets c, these r my goals, singer, cop, arcioligist, lets put it this way 4 a short version, i want 2 travel the world find tresure, and find something nobody has found yet you probebly think it’s stupid. but i can tell u this were gonna get along great. and don’t worry i’ll keep my eyes open 4 ya.

COOL! I’ve used to want to be an Archeologist, and if that didn’t work out, I wanted to be a Palentologist or however you spell those. One to look for treasure and the other dino bones. Maybe we could be sky pirates. XD Had a fantasy moment right there. lol. But yeah, I think we could get along great too! Besides people think things are stupid if they don’t benefit them. We know better though cause we’re smart. XD Same here, I’ll keep a look out for ya too! *Leaves out with nice-girl pose* Haha!